http://laserrania.com/

La Serrania

So, after a warm and friendly departure from Lin's, with sentiments, a good meal and farewells, I went to Palma with the next leg of the journey to explore.

Now I have the pleasure to be working in a wonderful place, a charming and idyllic retreat in the picturesque mountains of northern Mallorca.
Tim and Martina, the owners, have become both friends and surrogate parents and I help them in the great kitchen learning all sorts of tricks and secrets to Spanish and world cooking.
At lunch and evenings I set a big table for the retreating guests, who enjoy long meals between walks, yoga and poolside sunning. I offer full service to my table of mostly ladies and help make entrees, salads and deserts, and refill wine glasses and coffee cups. In the kitchen I get the stories and history of the place, of the people who have come through, of the pleasures and challenges of moving from Canada and Austria to make a life of the retreat business in the secluded and mountainous regions of an island, surely there's some good stories amongst these hills and pines!

So I am here for a month or so, learning recipes, helping out, feeling useful, and enjoying the good company of seasoned healers and yoga teachers who always have something to share and stories to tell. There is time for me to paint these mountains and valleys that change with the light and the coming of autumn, that turn lavender in the dusk and rose coloured in the dawn. Right now they are deep and richly green after a nights rain, clouds cushion the tops, and some sun breaks through to illuminate valley edges and rock faces. I can hear the clang of the heavy bells that hang from the necks of neighbouring sheep and their casual bleats. The sparrows softly chatter, and a rooster crows somewhere. The 14 Danish woman say goodbyes and after the seemingly endless slamming of hatchback doors they roll out in succession, the crunching of the driveway gravel indicating their mass departure, now we wait and prepare for the next flock of retreaters to arrive. This week is a Tai Chi and Reiki week, with various mountain walks, morning yoga, and organic food.

I sit on the terrace in this new silence and watch the fit Argentinian gardener tend to hedges, and I copy some recipes. Perhaps I will put one up on here for you! Salt encrusted monkfish? Chorizo and chickpea tomato soup? Nut and cheese loaf? Dorado and pepper Paella? Stuffed capsicums, endive and apple salad, rich lamb and apricot stew??! YUM.

Rx

The people have gone, and the days wind slowly through the warmth of mornings, the walks around pine forests, and an easy rhythm.
I have been left to my own between these long meals and beach visits to siesta, and have spent whole days immersed in drawing, a fluid and wonderful flow of imagery of the kind I haven't felt in a while. Now with Time, we have moments of silence together the three of us, and relax into eachothers company. And my calm in the charm of this place is addictive as if i could stay in my little villa for a long time, spending the days like this, the morning freshness, the summer meal, a dip in a sparkling bay, a long and calm afternoon in the shade of the garden, and evening walks under the moon. I get to know Mallorca and her natural wonders in the way Jorn did, and have been reading books about his embrace and worship of the elements here, the giving sun, the generous nature. We bought a fish off a guy with a van of his fresh catch, and wrapped it with lemons and garlic and had a fragrant feast with peppers and salad from the neighbor. Picture me wandering fine landscapes, as this place wont leave my unconcious and the soils of my creative self, a lasting impression. Rx

Cala d'or

Here in Mallorca finally!

And what a wonderful place it is! It was tricky for me to come here with all my dreams and expectations loaded onto one as-yet unknown island. The boat trip was a bit awkward, and I didnt know what to expect of the place or of myself. Im now adjusting to being very impressionable and in awe at life and beauty here. Im totally overwhelmed.

Lin has welcomed me into her home and life and I stay in Villa of my own at the edge of the property, down the hill from the main house, the walk which I usually remember the most after dinner and wine, is scented with the wild rosemary that grows along side the gravel path. A big moon illuminating. The island is wonderfully mediteranean, with worn sandstone homes, dry iron-filled earth, rocky and red, with olive and fig groves, and stone fences winding around plots. The hills are high and rocky and fortresses perch in them, eagles circle them.

We have long dinners on large sandstone terraces, with visitors from the world. We spend the days swimming, sunning and eating, walking groves and hillsides, sketching, chatting. The home is beautifully designed, and I soak it up while it lasts. Theres really something to be said for good design, I have never spent time in a space so considered. There are intermident spaces set aside exclusively it seems for a moment of rest and thought, like Jorn was a meditative and easy man. A reader, a thinker. Spaces for reading are abundant, sun and shade lounges, little forest stools, benches with a unique view, Sketch points, contemplative angles, and practical use of space, a generous use of light, a fine balance of modern, minimal and practical, with traditional, homely and social space. Lin's eye for design and all her ceramic and glass works adorn the place along with a fantastic selection of artworks and books. Im in a heaven of mind and space, and imagery, and impression. A balance of Danish design and Mallorcan lifestyle and stone. Villagers turn up with fish and olives and eggs. Locals come and help relocate pots and paintings from studio to stroage space with their red-brown skin and ponytails. Its a serious and proffessional working studio, and I soak it all up as much as I can, without getting in the way and trying to eb as usefull as possible.

Must get back to the house to make lunch, Rx

FYI - Here is a video of Hughes, Lin's interesting husband;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_5QW-sGfI8

Barcelona to Mallorca

The lady I visit here is barcelona herself, warm and full of tourists! Bronzed Europeans in all their amazing skin tones of deep olive and caramels, interesting to see. They wander around shopping and eating and spending and looking fabulous and eating gelato together. Young couples and families at the end of the Euro summer break, getting memorable snaps. All the Aussies seem to be at this hostel Im staying at, hundreds of them, and all young, having their first trip away, meeting up with other Aussies to go get pissed at Ibiza. Its not really my scene here in the hostel and to be honest I have struggled being here, and have had to spend most of my time walking and exploring outside the hostel, I feel like a bit of an old lady! Its because I have been spoiled this whole time with wonderful comfortable lodgings.

I havent thought much about what happens after visiting Lin's, I have been waiting to get to this island to see what will happen, to see how it will unfold. Though as she is sick and now not working, and juggling all the friends that come to visit from all over the world on their summer break, I feel I need to be prepared for this trip to be cut shorter than expected. I still dont know what will happen and this is fine but its good to be prepared. I spoke to Lin yesterday and we are both very excited to see eachother, the island and its charms await me tomorrow after a long boat ride along these warm meditaranean waters. We will see!